Physical Education

A physical education background
prepares our graduates to develop and
lead physical activity programs for youth
and adults in community-based fitness or
recreational settings, including health and
fitness centers, and outdoors.

Our faculty is highly committed to our
students, reaching out when you first arrive
on campus to help you learn about the UVM
and Burlington communities. They will
work closely with you as caring advisors as
well as experienced teachers in classrooms,
learning labs, and in the field.

You declare your intent to be a Physical
Education major at the time you apply
to UVM. At the end of your first year,
you formally apply to be admitted into
the professional course work leading to an educator's license to teach PreK-12.

As a Physical Education major, you will acquire a
thorough understanding of the effects of physical
activity on the human body and the ways in which
we learn movement skills. You will acquire a strong
academic foundation and practical knowledge of human
movement. Your core course work will include: Exercise
Physiology; Movement Skill Learning and Control;
Kinesiology; Sport in Society; and Physical Education
Pedagogy.

Beginning in your second year, you will have a variety
of field-based experiences--working with children in
the public schools, coaching youth involved in sports
organizations, and assisting individuals in special
physical activity or fitness programs. You will spend
a minimum of 60 hours in elementary and secondary
settings before enrolling in a teaching internship. You
also will gain experience throughout your academic
program in other field settings, such as Special
Olympics, adapted aquatics, Boys and Girls Clubs,
summer camps, and sports rehabilitation programs.

You will also take a series of professional physical
activity courses to develop instructional experiences in an
activity setting. Courses include racquet sports, outdoor
pursuits, team and individual sports, and others.

Additionally, all students in the program complete a
30-credit liberal arts and sciences concentration. You
will be able to choose from 30 areas, including Exercise
and Sports Science.

The program is approved by the Vermont State
Department of Education, which has reciprocity with
many states and the District of Columbia and is
accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE). Successful program completion leads to
licensure and an endorsement to teach Physical Education (PreK-Grade 12).